


Of Dragons and Men (v2)

by zaynedere



Series: Of Dragons and Men [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Dragon Hybrid Keith, Dragon Hybrids, M/M, Prince Lance - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-06
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2018-12-24 11:55:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12012201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zaynedere/pseuds/zaynedere
Summary: Lance just wanted a normal day, but apparently a 'normal day' meant almost dying several times and meeting a mysteriously hot dragon hybrid.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi!!!!!! I'm rewriting my previous fic, Of Dragons and Men. It was crappy and poorly written, so i figured that i'd give this a retry! I will try updating asap.

Lance never enjoyed the emptiness of the castle. Before their father’s passing, it’d always be alive with joyful servants and chatty maids who were always had a question about Lance’s wellbeing. There was always someone to talk to when he was troubled, a shoulder for him to lean on. Of course, he’d never really needed a shoulder to lean on at the ripe age of twelve, other than when he needed to complain about the gross vegetables that their father insisted that he eat every night. Oh, he wished for those simple problems these days.

 

Their father died when Lance was thirteen, five years ago. It was… hard, for everyone in the castle. King Alfor was found in his bed with a knife driven through his heart, and Allura, Lance’s elder sister, was the first to see their beloved father like that. It took a lot of counseling for her to even come out of her room, and a week later she was crowned Queen of Altea. His half-sister was strong, he knew so, but every resident of the castle could tell even now she had her moments.

 

It wasn’t exactly easy to stay calm when the entire country was under threat of the Galra, a dragon species that valued strength and did anything their leader told them to without any sort of hesitation. They’ve done terrible things to the countries and kingdoms they’ve rampaged, it was no wonder that his kingdom was sitting on a giant ball of stress. It doesn’t help that the nearby dragons are starting to notice the rising anxiety of the kingdom and using it to their advantage; stealing sheep when the anxious commoners turned their heads. Half of the knights dispatched to solve the problem never returned, and the other half returned with their metaphorical tail between their legs.

 

The prince ached to help; all he did around here was study with his tutor and, if he was lucky, helped his sister with her own studies of war and dragons. Speaking of, he’d let his feet carry him to their expansive library, and pushing open the tall, mahogany doors led him to his sister, hiding in her cave of books. Lance walked over to the fort, peering over it to see the top of his sister’s head of white hair.

 

Allura was born and raised in a different country; their father having lived in a foreign place and married before his wife had died and Lance’s mother lured him here. He, of course, brought Allura along, and not long after, she gained a little brother. Their father and Allura had darker skin, like chocolate almost, but astonishingly white hair and thick accents. His sister’s accent isn’t as thick anymore, but it’s still obvious that she wasn’t raised here in Terra, the kingdom they currently ruled. She is from Altea, a gorgeous city filled with brilliant minds and advanced technology. Lance could tell that his sister longed to go back, even just to visit.

 

Lance’s mother had died when he was four; a feral dragon had a bone to pick with some humans and took their anger out on the queen. It seemed like death was a familiar thing to them, even if it was never easy on them.

 

Lance cleared his throat, watching his sister startle and nearly tear the page in the book she had previously been fixated on. She looked up and gave lance a grumpy look, bookmarking her place before standing and swiping some stray white hairs out of her face. Even in these stressful times, Allura was still beautiful. Her skin was smooth, and although her eyes were tired, they carried just a brush of light in them. Lance never wanted to see that light fade.

 

“Was there something you wanted, brother?” She asked, one neatly trimmed eyebrow raising slightly.

 

Lance shrugged slightly, clasping his hands behind his back. “Just checking in on you. You forget to take breaks sometimes, you know,” He lightly teased, hiding his worries behind his words. “Find anything new?”

 

She gives a sigh, shoulders falling slightly. “No. I already know most of this. It’s all just- Just the same thing in different words.” Lance stepped forward, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

 

“That’s probably because you’re reading most of our older books. Have you tried the newer ones?”

 

“Yes! I’ve read them cover to cover. It’s just not telling me what I need,” She huffs, referring to information on the Galra. Their species originated in the southernmost point of the world, so it was much to cold to even try to study them.

 

Lance frowned a bit, humming softly in thought. “Have you tried asking Pidge? I’m sure they’ll know where some books are tucked away. They basically live in the library.” Pidge was their highest leveled scholar, despite being younger than Lance. They were brilliant, and has assisted Allura on many war decisions as well as anything to do with the kingdom. They were also excellent at teaching Lance, basically the only person that can tell him something and have him absorb the information.

 

Allura shakes her head, shoulders falling. “They’ve been so invested in the disappearance of their brother that I felt it wrong to interrupt them.”

 

“Allura,” Lance started gently. “I know you don’t want to, but you need to ask Pidge for help. The sooner you ask them, the sooner they can help you and return to their own devices.”

 

His sister hesitated for a moment before sighing and nodding, letting her defenses down easily. “As soon as I’m done with this book, I will.”

 

“And after you take a break. Go to the kitchens when you’re done, Hunk always has some fresh bread waiting for us,” Lance says easily, an encouraging smile on his face. His sister smiled at him, and after a brief hug he left the library, sighing some as the large doors shut silently behind him.

 

What to do, what to do. Hunk is probably busy with lunch duties, Pidge and Allura are obvious no-gos, and Coran would probably make him clean somethings, so he fit right in the Pidge and Allura category. Richie though, Richie was always free. He smiled to himself, dashing down a flight of stairs and out to the stables, cape flying up behind him as he ran up to his horse. Richie is a purebred Clydesdale, donning a thick brown coat and a smooth mane, usually in braids via Lance’s boredom.

 

“Hey there handsome,” Lance purrs, rubbing his hands up the white strip on Richie’s muzzle. He loves this horse like he would his own child, and trusts him with his life. “Wanna go stretch those legs of yours? A good run will do you well.” After getting a snort of what Lance wanted to assume was agreement, he grabbed the gorgeous bridle and slipped it on, slipping the bit into his mouth then leading him out by his reins and saddling him up. After a good minute of making sure every strap was in place as their now elderly farm hand had taught him, he put his left foot in the stirrup and pulled himself up. It used to be terribly difficult for him, but now he could probably get onto the large horse bareback without much trouble.

 

He made a clicking noise and tapped Richie’s sides, smiling as his horse trotted to the already open gates; the knights and farm hands always trusted Lance to come back safely, even if he occasionally raised eyebrows. From there on, he and Richie broke into a full gallop, the prince cheering as they ran through the dry grass surrounding their village.

 

Riding a horse was sometimes difficult to explain. It gave you a sense of freedom and control, and the bond between you and your horse always grew exponentially when time was taken to just let loose and put trust in one another.

 

They went for what must've been miles, Richie slowing down to a trot then to a walk as they reached the edges of their city, farmers tipping their hats and waving to the Prince as he passed their homes and barns. He neared the forest, hopping from his horse as they entered the dense foliage in search of a ravine. He knew one ran through here… Aha!

 

A clear, wiry stream ran through their path, to which Richie went towards immediately, sticking his mouth in and drinking his fill. Lance knelt and let his fingers run along the moving surface of the water, a soft smile on his face. His Father always said that Lance was just made for water, even if the closest ocean was miles and miles away; Lance hadn’t even seen the ocean yet he craved it, and he supposed that any nearby lakes or rivers were his closest chance to seeing one; as a Prince, he wasn’t quite able to travel around like his sister has been able to. The ocean was rather far away, and anything could happen to him on that journey.

 

With a sigh, he let his fingers run over the water for a while longer before Richie made a rather concerned noise behind him. Lance stood, hand gently patting his horse’s neck while looking around. All he saw was a flicker of movement, but it was enough for Lance’s instincts to tell him to run. He hopped onto Richie with ease, kicking his sides and trying to dodge the branches that flew into his face as his horse raced out of the forest, kicking up leaves and dust in his path. Once in the fields, he urged Richie on further, just to get away from the forest and what- or who- had been hiding in the forest, Lance pulled on the reins a bit, relaxing and letting his horse slow to a nice walk.

 

He loved being in the sun, so much so that he could spend hours just bathing in it, falling asleep in its warmth. The sun did feel nice today, even with the several clouds that threatened to block its rays. Leaning his head back to feel the warmth, he smiled, eyes falling closed. It was just so wonderful to get out of that depressing castle and into nature, where he could feel free and relax. It got him relaxed enough not to hear the nearly silent thumps from behind him before he was being tugged off his horse feet first, a startled yell coming from his throat as he tried to see who had a hold on his feet.

 

At first glance, the man was handsome. Nice jawline, fair skin. Then second glance came around and Lance realized that he, in fact, was a dragon hybrid. Red scales decorated his highlights, large horns twisting behind his head. His wings were folded up but large nonetheless, a deep red that would be pretty if they were not attached to Lance’s probable cause of death. He yelled out as his head bumped over a stone, a bit dizzy as he was dragged through, more dirt and dry grass. It wasn’t long until he was on actual stone, the weathered rock that replaced the sky telling him that yes, they were in fact in a cave.

 

Oh god. He’s in a den. A dragon’s den.

 

The dragon that was previously tugging on his legs let the appendages fall to the ground, whipping around and pointing to Lance’s face with a sword. Where did he get a fucking sword? “You’re dressed differently from the other who come. Why?”

 

“Wow, cut to the chase much?” Lance griped, trying to sit up but flopping back down when the silver tip wavered dangerously close to his nose.

 

“I demand to know why you are here. This is Shiro’s territory, and you are not permitted to trespass.”

 

“Oh, so you talk in the third person too?” Heavens above, Lance, this is not the time for jokes. He realized this as the sword touched his nose. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I’m the Prince! I came out with my horse for a run! Nothing more, I promise!”

 

The dragon scrunched his nose a bit, apparently trying to determine if it was true, and ultimately decided that Lance was a dirty liar. He moved the sword down to Lance’s throat, squinting his eyes. “Honesty this time, or I will kill you.”

 

Well. Fuck. “No, no! I’m telling the truth, I swear! I swear on my mother’s grave that I am the Prince! Look under my eyes! The blue marks! Only royalty gets them,” He hurried to say, wiping at the birthmarks to show their lack of makeup. “See?”

 

That seemed to satisfy the dragon, the dangerous weapon pulled away from his head but stayed in the other’s hand, ready if the need were to arise.  “If you _are_ the prince, why are you not accompanied by a knight? Royalty always has protection with them.”

 

Lance gave a half shrug, anxious as to what his fate would be. Was he going to die? Was this dragon going to cook him and eat him like all of those old wives tales? “I wanted to be alone,” He says in a small voice. “There’s too much stuff going on right now, and Richie and I enjoy going on a run when we’re both stressed.” He does his best to compose himself despite the fear eating his entire body. “May I leave now?”

 

The dragon narrows his eyes again, lifting the sword once more. “No. You are now my prisoner, and you will stay here until you return Shiro.”

 

Lance’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head. “ _Return him?_ Return _who?_ I have no idea as to who you’re talking about.”

 

The dragon’s eyes sparked, anger filling them. “Shiro is my _family._ You stupid humans took him from me and I want him back. And until he returns, you are my prisoner.”

 

_Why did Lance always have the worst of luck?_


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhhh sorry I update slower than a snaillllll  
> i promise to update more frequently now!!

Lance tried to escape three times, each time earning himself a scratch and a growl from the dragon. Soon enough, he was made to sit in the back of the cave, chewing on some dried meat that the other graced him with. It was nearly dark outside now, and he was sure that his sister was starting to worry for him. Any words of bargaining fell on deaf ears. Who was Shiro? Was he the other dragon? Lance would certainly know if they were keeping a dragon hybrid in their dungeons. At least, he hoped he would know. That seems like something that should be common knowledge for the residing prince.

 

He sighs as he tugs at a piece of his dried meat, scrunching his nose. Why did he have to sit in some dingy cave? He could be at home, soaking in a warm bath and nibbling on green grapes. Lance looked up at the dragon sitting at the front of the cave, surprised to see a book in his hands. His pretty face was scrunched up in focus as he read… a dictionary? What? 

 

“Whatcha got there?” Lance asked curiously, trying to sound the opposite of the burning anger churning inside of himself. 

 

The dragon jerked his head up, clawed index finger frozen under a word. “A… Book? Why do you care?”

 

Lance shrugs. “Normal people don’t just  _ read  _ dictionaries. I assume you’re not very good with reading English.” He saw the other narrow his eyes. 

 

“So what? Why would I care what normal humans do? Why does it matter to you?” He says defensively, wings twitching in annoyance. 

 

Lance struggled to come up with more words. “Well- I was just wondering. It’s quiet in here, y’know,” Lance says, and the dragon seems to soften, just a bit. “Do you have any other books?” 

 

The dragon hesitates for a moment, but nods, standing and grabbing some other books and bringing them over to Lance. He sat down with more grace than Lance thought possible for a dragon hybrid, with those big wings and long tail. Maybe dragon hybrids aren’t savages like many thought to believe. 

 

He’s handed a worn, leather bound book, the ink having faded on the parchment it was resting on. Looking through it gingerly, Lance knew what this was. A book of written history. There were many of them in the Castles expansive library, and this must have fallen out of a scholar's bag in order for the dragon to get his claws on this. 

 

“I- I have trouble with reading,” He says softly. “Shiro usually teaches me, but he has been on a long journey so…” Assuming Shiro was the other dragon, Lance smiles, feeling a touch of compassion for the other. 

 

“You’re lucky I came along then! As a royal, I have some of the best education at my fingertips. Though it is a difficult task, I will take it upon myself to teach you written language,” He speaks heartily confidently. “First, I need your name.”

 

The dragon scrunches his nose a bit, them nods. “Keith.” 

 

Keith is such a boring name but at the same time, Lance believes it to be so…  _ fitting  _ for the hybrid before him. “Okay, Keith, my name is Lance. Do you know how to spell your name?” 

 

The hybrid went from being in power of the situation to unsure and a bit embarrassed. “Uh. I know it starts with a K…” If Lance wasn’t currently being held hostage he would have thought the other to be adorable, but as it stood, he held his ground and set out to teach this young dragon all he could. 

 

\-----

 

Lance ended up being able to teach the other how to read and write his own name by the time the sun had set. Keith was still rather rude and brash, but it was obvious that he was a curious soul and had an affinity for learning. He didn’t know much about dragon hybrids, but the little he’d known had been proven to be false. His story books and the few journals he’d read on the species told him that dragons were ruthless killers, that they weren’t cultured nor knew how to communicate properly. 

Although guarded, Keith was far from uncultured. Everything in the cave had its place, and the dragon seemed very particular about putting things where they belonged. He was dressed, covering what needed to be covered and had a rope as his belt to keep his dirtied pants from falling. The many books were all well loved and clean, stacked in the corner near a large pile of blankets and pelts that looked similar to a nest. Even the fire pit looked to be neat and well put together, the large stones surrounding it still in good shape. 

 

The communication part almost lines up with Keith, though. He seemed to not know how to properly communicate some emotions or words to Lance, whether it be because he really didn’t know how to do it, or that he didn’t trust Lance wholly and couldn’t relax around him. Lance was leaning towards the latter as of right now, since Keith was so perceptive. 

 

When they finally lost all the light they could get, Keith had seemed much more relaxed around Lance, but his shoulders stayed tense and his tail had this slight nervous tic whenever Lance spoke or touched Keith. If anything, it helped Lance relax and not fear for his life. Moments ago, Keith had set his dictionary and pencil back neatly where they belonged, and had started up a small fire in the pit, slowly warming up the cave and bringing back a fraction of the light that the sun took as it had set. The dragon even seemed kind enough to start cooking two slabs of raw meat; where he got them, Lance didn’t know, but in all honesty he didn’t really need to.

 

If he hadn’t been kidnapped and currently held against his will, he would have considered Keith to be a hotheaded hybrid that was just a softie on the inside. It wasn’t hard to see that he relied on his instincts, and Lance couldn’t exactly blame him for being guarded when a royal human was near. One slip up, and Lance could find out his weakness and as soon as he could escape he could send a fleet of men after Keith. He wouldn’t do such a thing, however, it wasn’t like Keith knew that.  

“So, uhm…” Lance starts, uncomfortable in the thick silence. “Who exactly is this Shiro guy you keep mentioning?”

 

The somewhat calm demeanor that Keith held disappeared, his body visibly growing hostile and defensive. Already Lance knew that he crossed a line that he shouldn’t have, but it wasn’t like he could take back the words now that they were floating around in Keith’s head. The dragon’s gaze was hard, guarded again as if he were seeing Lance for the first time. The light of the fire that licked at his face and caused shadows to bounce made the moment all the more tense, and Lance was almost sure that Keith was going to take a swipe at him. 

 

Keith seemed to surprise them both when he begun speaking, slitted eyes returning to the fire. “Shiro is… My only family. He’s been my best friend since before I can remember, and he helped me get back on my feet after the Galra took everything away from me,” He says lowly, tone and demeanor solemn. “He went away many moons ago to look for an old friend, and he’s been missing ever since.”

 

Despite the minute amount of information that Keith had provided, Lance could see the restless nights and lonely days in Keith’s downturned eyes. Loving someone in such a way was both a blessing and a curse; being around them is enough to bring back a lost will to live, but being without them can put those dark thoughts back in someone’s head. He personally knew these feelings because he held the same love for his sister. Loving someone never has to be romantic, nor does it have to be sexual. Caring for someone so deeply is so beautifully rare, and that a relationship so strong should be cherished and nurtured. The pain hidden under Keith’s somewhat guarded expression told Lance all he needed.

 

“I’m sorry,” He says truthfully, moving to hug his legs and rest his chin atop his knees. “I hope he comes back soon. I know how it feels to be without someone so close to you.” 

 

The other eyed him carefully, judging his word and hopefully deciding to take it as truth, if the way his shoulders relaxed minutely had any say. Loss was common these days, for everyone. The war took loved ones from both dragon hybrids and humans, leaving none untouched by the devastation the always trailed behind it. It was unspoken, but it seemed that they both believed Shiro to be in enemy hands, dead or alive. For Keith’s sake, Lance almost wished Shiro were dead. The Galra do terrible things to those they have imprisoned, and close to none have escaped to tell the dirty tales of what caused screams of agony behind enemy lines. 

 

One of Keith’s long ears twisted slightly, and the softening demeanor turned sour yet again as he stared out the mouth of the dimly lit cave. After a minute or so of listening, his eyes turned back to the prince. “You are free to leave,” He says gently. “I trust you won’t lead your knights to me or my home.” There was a disproportionate amount of trust in those words, the other’s slitted eyes showing his trust for his newfound friend. Lance was almost overpowered by how much trust was given to him, but it only took him a moment to take that trust and decide to protect that wholly. 

 

Lance nods, moving to stand before walking past Keith on the other side of the fire. He looked down at the dragon, smiling softly at him. “I know you kidnapped me and all, but I actually enjoyed my time here. Kind of,” He says, eyes bright. “Maybe next time I’m here, it’ll be because I’m here of my own accord.” Distantly, he heard the rythmic thumping of horse hooves and knew that those were his que to leave. He waved gently at the hybrid, chest warming at seeing a soft smile grace Keith’s face before Lance left the cave. 

 

Outside of the cave was a few dozen yards of tall green grass, some areas turning mottled yellows due to the changing of seasons. Where the grass ended, a forest continued, tall pines and oaks mixing with the dense underbrush to create a natural cloak of camouflage. He started towards there, knowing that once he was far enough he could just sit and call for help and the nearby knights would easily find him. 

 

As he made his way through the forest, he knew that he would be coming back here to see Keith. As stubborn as that boy was, he knew that Keith craved companionship, and didn’t seem to want to hurt him,contrary to popular belief. Or, the Prince could just be reading the entire situation wrong and the hybrid was just befriending him in order to hide him away and eat him at a later date. If that was actually the case, then it would’ve been entirely Lance’s fault, for his people skills would have been considered sub par at that point.

 

After he’d traveled long enough that the dense forest hid his view of the moon and the glow of the fire Keith had started was no longer in view, he found a mossy spot to sit in and listened for the knights that would stop at nothing until he was found. As soon as he heard a whisper of dull hoof thuds, he called out to them. Low and behold, it didn’t take them long to locate and rescue Lance, wrapping him in a blanket and having him lay in the lap of one of the guards. He would find this embarrassing if he actually cared, but seeing as he didn’t, he did his best to make himself comfortable for the time being. 

 

When they arrived back on castle grounds, it was needless to say that Allura was two seconds away from yanking out her hair from stress. As soon as word had gotten to her, she’d sprinted to Lance’s location, where he hadn’t even set foot inside of their home yet. He found himself wrapped up in the arms of his half sister, a gentle smile on his face as he squeezed her back in a warm hug. 

 

“I was so  _ worried _ . I thought someone had taken you, or you fell somewhere or-” Her voice was frantic, the underlying terror in it giving away the terrible thoughts that had recently plauged her mind. Lance cut her off, squeezing her a tad tighter to reassure her. 

 

“I’m  _ fine _ , Allura. I just went for a ride with Richie, tumbled off, and fought off vicious branches all day because I’d gotten lost. I’m sorry for worrying you so,” He says, hoping she wouldn’t catch his blatant lie. Lance was almost mad at himself for enjoying even a portion of his time with Keith while his sister was over here worrying herself into her own grave. Guilt grabbed his heart violently, but he shoved it down and away for later in order to care for his sister. He cupped her cheeks, thumbs wiping away errant tears as he gave his beloved sister a warm smile. “See? I’m alright. Let’s go inside and get something to eat, and I can have the maids draw us a bath.”

 

She sniffed hard and nodded slightly, resembling a young child instead of a queen. In reality, she was awfully young still. It was typical for queens and kings to become so royal around twenty five, but she took on the duty when she was only a fresh adult at eighteen. She grew up awfully fast, and some days Lance was reminded of how young she was at heart, how she loved to try to make up her lost youth. The days that she was the strict, business only Queen were far outnumbered by the days where she was his fun loving, goofy sister that teased and wrestled with him.

 

He wrapped an arm around his sister, and together they made their way to the dining hall, sliding two chairs close together after fetching a soft rag and a bowl of warm water so Lance could gently wipe and pat at Allura’s face to help clean her up and calm her down. After they both ate something warm, they’d take a bath together as they’ve been doing since their youth, then they’d dress in their warmest nightclothes and curl up in Allura’s bed together. It’s been that way even before their father had passed, and since he’d left them, they’d been closer than ever. They loved and trusted each other more than anyone else, and anyone in the kingdom could see their strong bond.   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It was actually really difficult for me to get this chapter out!! I wanted it to be similar to the old story, but also not shitty and actually in character. Im really enjoying writing it so far!!!
> 
> Kudos will feed me thru the harsh winters, and comments will feed u fanfiction at faster intervals >:3
> 
> DM me on twitter @zaynewrites ,, I love talking and will never shut up lmao.

**Author's Note:**

> hmu @zaynewrites on twitter or @zaynedere on amino/instagram


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